The Hustle

There was a New Wave revolution happening in rock music in the late 70s and the poster boy for it was the bespectacled Elvis Costello and his band of Attractions, which included our guest this week b…

Regular listeners know how much the Smithereens mean to me. Sadly, frontman Pat DiNizio passed away at 62 on Tuesday night after suffering through poor health for many years. To discuss what the band…

The 80s were the decade of the movie montage. And one of the classics is from Revenge of the Nerds when the guys find a frat house and begin fixing it up to the tune of "One Foot in Front of the Othe…

Mega-producer Steve Thompson's career goes back 40 years and includes every genre of music from disco to heavy metal to alternative to hip-hop. Along the way he's collected 7 Grammy Awards for his wo…

This week we are going deep on one of the most iconic songs ever. "867-5309/Jenny" hit #4 on the US charts back in 1982 and has never left the public consciousness. It has to be the most famous phone…

Though Chris McLernon was the bassist for hard rockers Saigon Kick during much of the 90s, his often hilarious story really begins in the late 80s when his first band Cold Sweat threw their hat in th…

Hired Gun is one of the best rock docs of the last couple years. It details the realities of life as a struggling musician whose career is dependent on being employed by big artists. Imagine you go f…

The Call were one of the preeminent alternative bands of the 80s and early 90s. They never quite cracked the top 40, but had several hits on college radio like "Let The Day Begin", "Everywhere I Go" …

To me, the Smithereens are the greatest American band of all time. And while each member deserves credit for being exceptional at what they do, a large part of the magic of the Smithereens is found i…

Surely, when Lol Tolhurst was growing up in the English suburb of Horley with his mate Robert Smith and the two decided to start a band, they couldn't have known the cultural impact they would have o…

Since Halloween is next week and we have a very special guest lined up, I thought I'd repost my chat with Gerard McMahon (G Tom Mac) from 2015 because 1) it seems fitting since he's the man behind "C…

The Trashcan Sinatras have been one of the most respected British pop bands of the last 30 years. Though they've only released six albums in that time, each one is an exercise in perfection and craft…

Alannah Myles struck gold in 1989 when her gigantic hit "Black Velvet" reached #1 in the US. The song won her a Grammy for Best Female Rock Performance and achieved radio spins of over 5 million. It …

Anyone over the age of 40 probably grew up watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood where we learned valuable life lesson's, visited the Land of Make Believe, and interacted with his cast of characters like…

Prior to being the drummer of the legendary Surf Punks, Dennis Dragon earned his bona fides co-producing a little song his brother Daryl was working on with his wife, Toni. Well, that tune became "Lo…

Nelson basically owned 1990 and '91. But, despite having four top 40 hits and selling five million copies of their debut album After The Rain, the Nelson twins, Matthew and Gunnar, couldn't get a fol…

Everyone remembers Kiki Dee for her #1 duet with Elton John, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" from 1976. But, did you know she is approaching 55 years in the music business? After starting out as a teena…

After bursting out in the early 80s with one of the greatest debuts in modern rock history, and, thus, rock critics falling all over him as the next big thing, Marshall Crenshaw has settled into a ca…